If drone footage of China’s Mount Hua skywalk makes you feel queasy, spare a thought for the ancient monks who would have taken the dizzying route on their journey towards religious enlightenment.

The network of wooden boards running alongside the 2,160-meter (7,000ft) holy mountain in Shaanxi province, are walked today by tourists with an appetite for adventure – and the desire to snap a nerve-jangling selfie.

Hundreds of years ago, the wooden path, cobbled together on the side of the mountain’s granite facade, would have been a key route for taoist followers attempting to reach the summit.